ODD SOCK SEEKS STALLION WIN

Tessters Odd Sock will get another shot at a stakes purse and this time he will have a favorable post on the gate.

The son of Usher Hanover out of Armbro Nancy, who was named B.C.’s two-year-old colt of the year for 2006, had the outside post in the Sales Stake final in December, but was parked and eventually distanced.

This Saturday he will be going for the winner’s share of the $100,000 Stallion Stake for three-year-old colts and geldings from the two-hole.

He has been made the 6-5 overnight favorite after his qualifying division win two weeks ago in 1:58.3 for owner (along with Jan Dryden)/trainer/driver Rick White.

His main threat will likely come from Told Ya Fred and a three-horse entry from the Robert Murphy barn.

Fred, trained by Grant Hollingsworth, was second to Odd Sock in their division and has the three-hole Saturday.

Red Star Paylater, part the entry with Red Star Survivor and Red Star Quadra, won his division in a new life mark 1:57.4. Paylater, a son of Bilateral and trained and driven by Mike Bourgeois, won for the third time in eight starts in his career. His main problem will be the seven hole on the gate.

Another Murphy three-horse entry, led by Red Star Superstar, will be favored (8-5) in the filly race.

Superstar, in her first lifetime start, paced to a 2½-length victory in 1:58.3 in her qualifying division. Trained and driven by Clint Warrington, Superstar, a daughter of Storm Compensation, beat Schadenfreude to the wire.

Superstar will have Red Stars Poppy and Sugar Gal as mates while Schadenfreude, owned by Jim Findlay, will have a mate in Vaminos Diablo and has been made 2-1 second choice.

Schadenfreude will start from the three spot while Superstar is in the six hole.

Meanwhile, the Stallion Stakes for four-year-olds headed straight to Friday’s $25,000 finals as only four mares and eight colts entered and there was no need for eliminations.

In fact, with only four starters the four-year-old mares will race in a non-wagering event. Stakes queen and open challenger Furious Five, with more than a quarter million dollars in earnings in her career, is considered too much for Kootenay Princess, Lady Lana and Dreamy Martini to handle.

In the colts’ battle Silk Puddles, also a former stakes champion, has been made the 2-1 overnight choice for trainer Helmut Ratz.  Puddles will start from the four hole, between Rogerthedodger, at 7-2, and Madpan, who has been installed as the 9-2 third choice. 

ACTIVE, AND STRONG, PASS: For the fourth straight week there was a different winner in the open, with $35,000 claimers, event last weekend at the Downs.

Active Pass, like Thisisbliss the week before, captured the event in impressive fashion last Saturday.

Active Pass, a five-year-old son of Kents On Nuke, stalked the pace, made a backstretch move and pulled away in the last quarter for a 1:53.4 mile, his lifetime best. The 5-2 third choice won by half a length over Heavy Rain Warning, who had led most of the way, while a strong-closing Armbro Blacktie, the 8-5 favorite, was third.

Active Pass, who was driven by Serge Masse for owner Kalla Judge and trainer Gord Abbott, now has won three of his last four starts. The victory pushed his career earnings to more than $194,000.

Blacktie and Red Star Senator, now in Ontario, were the other recent open winners. 

ANOTHER HIT FOR CHER: Cher The Wealth found an interesting way to get back to the winner’s enclosure.

After her five-race winning streak was halted the week before in a $20,000 claiming event with the boys, Cher moved up in class to take on the open and $35,000 claiming mares.

Using her usual blazing early speed for owner/trainer/driver Serge Masse, Cher The Wealth led gate to wire to win in 1:53.3. It was her career best clocking and just one fifth of a second off the track record of 1:53.2 for aged mares held by Ivys Wine.

The seven-year-old daughter of Wheelin Chance was part of a 1-5 favored entry with Furious Five. Miss St Labush, a 10-1 shot, was second, 2¾ lengths back, and 30-1 shot Red Star Ginny was third.

Coco Bongo and Furious Five, who had shared winning the last five open events, were fifth and fourth respectively.

Cher now has 38 lifetime wins and more than $177,000 career earnings.  

DRIVER DERBY: Jim Marino and Serge Masse, who have had a good meet get even better since Bill Davis left for Edmonton, continue to lead the driver derby in 2007.

Each had six wins last weekend. Marino had three victories each day while Masse had a grand slam last Saturday.

Barry Treen and Dave Hudon each had three wins while Clint Warrington had two.

Marino, Masse and Treen paced all trainers with three trips to the winner’s enclosure while Hudon had two. 

STREAKERS ETC: Kootenay Finale moved up another notch in the claiming ranks, but that did not stop her from extending her winning streak to six.

The five-year-old daughter of Safe N Rich, was claimed for $4,000 on March 3. She moved up to $5,000 the next week and won and since then has gone to $8,000 and $15,000 claiming events and kept on winning. For the second straight week Finale set a lifetime mark, this time 1:55 for owner/trainer/driver Serge Masse.

Masse has another hot horse in Eclipse This. The seven-year-old son of Royal Dilemma  rolled to his fifth victory in a row – and 21st of his career. The recent wins have all been in the $4,000 class 1 claiming events.

Western Nitro, a four-year-old gelded son of Western Hanover, made it two wins in a row for trainer Dave Hudon, and pushed his career earnings to more than $77,000.

Genuine Ellie Mae, a five-year-old daughter of Usher Hanover, won her second straight for trainer Erik Neyhart in a new life mark of 1:57.2.

Warrawee Hero (h 4 Camluck) lowered his career best clocking to 1:58.3; Yankee Money (g 7 Make A Deal) dropped his lifetime mark to 1:56.3 while winning his third in his last four starts; GG S Connfidence (m 4 Northern Luck) cut her best time to 1:59.4;  Nazko Island (c 3 Island Fantasy) reduced his career top mark to 1:57.2 and Red Star Islander (g 4 Island Fantasy) set his lifetime best at 1:57.2.

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